One of the largest European air defense companies, Thales Belgium, warns that an increasing number of drones are flying over its top-secret factories, and it wants clear rules on how to jam or shoot them down, Politico reports, writes UNN.
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"We are seeing more drones than a few months ago," said Alain Quevrain, regional director of Thales Belgium. He specifically noted observations over the Fort d'Evegnée in the eastern Liège region, the only Belgian facility licensed to assemble and store explosives for 70mm rockets.
His comments come amid a growing number of reports of drones, including in Poland, Romania, Germany, Norway, and Denmark over the past month. Some of them, such as military drones flying over Poland and Romania, were Russian, while the origin of others was more complex, the publication notes.
In response, Copenhagen temporarily banned drone flights last week, and NATO launched a new program, "Eastern Sentry," to address critical gaps in the alliance's air defense system.
"We are concerned" by these developments, Quevrain said, as they occur at a time when the company aims to double its production capacity of unguided and laser-guided FZ275 rockets to 70,000 over the next few years, subject to demand.
The French multinational company has made "huge efforts" to install detection systems at its facilities, he explained. The company said it could use jammers to block the signal needed to control drones and shoot them down. But the problem is that "we are forbidden to do so - by law," Quevrain said. One of the problems with shooting down drones is that they can cause damage or injury to people when they fall.
Now, Quevrain said, countries like Belgium need to clearly define "what the correct procedure is" regarding such observations, including where police responsibility ends and company responsibility begins.
"This process needs to be clarified," he said. "This is a situation we all have to deal with."
Quevrain said Thales Belgium has "incredible" demand for its missiles, as NATO seeks to secure its skies. Most of the company's current production goes to Ukraine, the publication writes.
Missiles produced at the factory in Herstal and Fort d'Evegnée can be used against drones. The laser-guided version is designed for larger high-altitude UAVs, such as Iranian Shaheds, while their unguided counterparts, upon detonation, release thousands of steel balls to shoot down swarms of smaller, low-flying drones.
In recent weeks, the military alliance has come under sharp criticism for its response to recent airspace incursions after NATO warplanes used multi-million dollar missiles to shoot down Russian drones made of wood and foam, each costing about $10,000.
According to Quevrain, after the invasion of Poland, Thales received dozens of requests for its missiles, as their 8-kilometer range missiles meet national standards and can be integrated into existing weapon systems.
"This is a ready-to-use solution designed to combat an increasing number of target types," he said. Germany, Italy, Spain, and Poland are among the company's largest NATO customers, and the company says its missiles are four times cheaper than alternative options on the market, the publication notes.
However, to meet this demand, Quevrain noted, the EU needs to help the industry overcome another obstacle: to create a body that will organize cross-border projects and procurement for both companies and governments.
The law prohibits the EU from directly financing the purchase of weapons and military equipment, but it has launched a number of initiatives aimed at promoting joint arms procurement by member states, including within the framework of the SAFE "loans for weapons" program worth 150 billion euros.
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